I consider myself to be a proud member of the green generation. I have grown up in a time where eating organic, holistic health, and riding your bike to work are constantly gaining in popularity. A time when North Americans are finally waking up to the harm they have caused our planet and have made small steps towards progress. The green generation has observed the foolish mistakes of our parents, leaders and teachers, and knows that there exists a much more harmonious way of living.
One way to attain this harmony can be found by tapping into the power we hold within, and rediscovering our connection to the natural world. Indigenous cultures from around the world can act as guides in helping to uncover simple truths that this society has forgotten. People of all ages, especially the green generation, can benefit from learning shamanic tools and techniques. Often learning about shamanism feels like uncovering and dusting off something that was always there, like finding an old comfortable chair left in the attic. Sitting in the chair of shamanism may feel oddly familiar and helps us to reconnect with our truest selves.
During these times of chaos and uncertainty it has become absolutely necessary to find some stability. As the green generation looks for their next job, school, home, or relationship they realize better then anyone the truth that nothing lasts for long. Life is constantly in flux, which allows for real growth and refining of how one wants to show up in the world. The uncertainty that exists at this age helps to light the fire for the great Search. A search that many people wait half their lives to begin, but the green generation intuitively knows that they cant afford to wait that long. Shamanism can help in this search for truth by adding stability, because the earth, sun and moon are really the only things certain in these times. If you have ever found astounding beauty, learned or thanked any aspect of the natural world then you have experienced shamanism. Shamanism is not a religion and there is no right or wrong way to practice. It can act as an umbrella to include many forms of meditation, prayer, ceremony and self-discovery. On the most basic level, shamans help one to discover the truth, beauty, and connection of what was always there but often invisible to the naked eye.
Looking back I practiced shamanic techniques from a young age when I played in the magical forest behind our house, climbed a favorite tree, rolled down a grassy slope and loved being outside. The earth has always been my teacher and friend. As I have come into adulthood I have embarked on the great search to find what our culture has lost. In my search I have come across the wisdom and power of ancient and indigenous cultures, whose lessons can be applied to our society today. I have learned a different way of looking at the world in which meaning is embedded in everything. I have spoken with trees, danced under the moon, and listened to the wisdom of the mountains. Engaging with what Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, calls the soul of the world.
Music and dance have been utilized for countless years in cultures around the world as a way to communicate with truth, essence, and Spirit. They have made their way into our society and culture, and are a major form of expression for the green generation. Through music and dance one comes to learn that there are ways to communicate to the visible and invisible that are beyond words. Shamanic insights such as this, unleash a world filled with magic and creativity that have longed to be heard again. The younger one can rediscover such truths the more power they have to live a fulfilling life.
In these times we desperately need to learn how to reconnect with our selves and our world. Members of the green generation understand this, and so they have begun the great search at a young age hoping to find the necessary water and sunlight so that they may bloom into the leaders that the world needs. Shamanic practices can help in this search for substance and truth. By learning from evolved cultures, like the Incans and Mayans, young people can implement what our culture has forgotten, a life and civilization that is in harmony with the changing seasons. The time has come for North Americans to wake up and change the way they live, by bowing down and being of service to the earth and all of its brothers and sisters. The green generation is preparing to lead the way….
Alex Bethel
Power Path School of Shamanism
Youth Retreat Volunteer Staff Aug. ‘09
www.thepowerpath.com
Holistic Psychology Major
Lesley University
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José Stevens
José Luis Stevens, PhD is the president and co-founder (with wife Lena) of Power Path Seminars, an international school and consulting firm dedicated to the study and application of shamanism and indigenous wisdom to business and everyday life. José completed a ten-year apprenticeship with a Huichol (Wixarika) Maracame (Huichol shaman) in the Sierras of Central Mexico. In addition, he is studying with Shipibo shamans in the Peruvian Amazon and with Paqos (shamans) in the Andes in Peru. In 1983 he completed his doctoral dissertation at the California Institute of Integral Studies focusing on the interface between shamanism and western psychological counseling. Since then, he has studied cross-cultural shamanism around the world to distill the core elements of shamanic healing and practice. He is the author of twenty books and numerous articles including Encounters With Power, Awaken The Inner Shaman, The Power Path, Secrets of Shamanism, Transforming Your Dragons and How To Pray The Shaman’s Way.
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